Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 January 2026
867. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline the supports available for children diagnosed with chromosome deletion disorder 16p11.2, specifically those who are awaiting an assessment of need; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4233/26]
View answerUnder the Disability Act, an Assessment of Need is a formal assessment process carried out by the HSE where a person is of the opinion that he/she may have a disability, for anyone born after 1st June 2002. It first establishes whether the person has a disability (as defined within the Disability Act). It then identifies the health and education needs of the person with a disability and the health services required to meet those needs.
Children do not require an Assessment of Need to access health services, including HSE Primary Care, Children’s Disability Network Teams or Mental Health Services. A family can, and should, apply directly for these services for their child outside of the Assessment of Need process. While most children are supported through the Primary Care system, children with complex needs may require supports from their local Children’s Disability Network Team.
As the supports available to children diagnosed with chromosome deletion disorder 16p11.2 is an operational matter, we have referred this aspect of the question to the HSE for direct response to the Deputy.
